Circular Excellence

The ‘Axencia Galega de Innovación’ has approved funding for the Circular Excellence CETIM infrastructure project (IN607E 2024/02) as part of a line of grants to support the creation and improvement of research, testing and experimentation infrastructure at Galician technology centres. Thanks to this investment, CETIM will improve its scientific and research excellence, strengthening itself by renewing its research infrastructure specialising in the circular economy.

FILE: IN607E 2024/02

TOTAL PROJECT BUDGET: €883,007.20

GRANT: €441,503.60

Circular Excellence CETIM will focus on six strategic lines of research in circular economy, seeking to increase its regional, national and European positioning and leadership; boost competitiveness and its own research capabilities in collaboration with companies, especially SMEs; and increase its ability to attract and retain R&D&I talent in our region.

• Strategic Research Line in Batteries

We will strengthen our excellence in battery research by improving scientific equipment for R&D&I in the development and physical-chemical characterisation of raw materials, advanced materials, electrochemical recipes (inks/slurries for electrodes, separators and electrolytes) and electrochemical cell components (anode, cathode, separator and electrolyte), and for the electrochemical characterisation of cells.

• Strategic Research Line on Water

We will increase research capacity in strategic priorities at European and national level in this field – water quality to ensure its regeneration, regeneration technologies for reuse (membrane distillation) and detection and characterisation of microplastics.

• Strategic Research Line in Green Hydrogen

We will increase our scientific excellence in the production of green hydrogen through biological processes, such as dark fermentation, using circular economy models, valorising waste and by-products to obtain this priority energy vector, steering the current energy model towards an efficient and sustainable system.

• Strategic Research Line in Sustainable Polymers

We will improve R&D&I capacity in sustainable polymers by increasing the qualitative characterisation capabilities of biopolymeric materials and recycled polymers in a comprehensive and complete manner in order to strengthen research in this area, which is crucial for circularity.

• Strategic Research Line in Construction Materials

We will increase cutting-edge and specialised research into sustainable construction solutions for building and renovation through R&D&I in sustainable construction materials, equipping ourselves with unique equipment for the development of this type of innovative solution.

• Strategic Research Line in Sustainable Industry 5.0

We will specialise in R&D&I in Sustainable Industry 5.0 to strengthen Artificial Intelligence-Green Algorithms, their collaboration with people and sustainability, as well as improving photonics and artificial vision as complementary, cross-cutting digital technologies that drive the Circular Economy.

Results for the 2024 annuity:

During the 2024 annuity, at CETIM we have begun to develop tasks related to the acquisition and implementation of research infrastructure, its operation, monitoring and the development of new lines of research supported by this new infrastructure. Likewise, communication and dissemination actions have been initiated, monitoring their impact.

With the aim of increasing the research excellence of six of its R&D&I Specialisation Lines in the areas of the Circular Economy – research into water, green hydrogen, sustainable polymers, sustainable construction materials, sustainable industry 5.0 and batteries – CETIM has acquired the equipment, commissioned it and trained personnel, as well as subsequently starting up its daily operations, which are planned for 2024 in each of its six strategic lines of research.

In order to obtain maximum performance from the equipment acquired, we are monitoring and defining the most relevant research activities and technological services for the different pieces of equipment, studying how each one operates and its suitability for the development of these new lines of research and technological services. At the same time, we are monitoring and developing new lines of research that can be reinforced with the equipment acquired within the framework of the six strategic lines of research proposed. Similarly, we have begun to develop the Communication and Dissemination Plan, with actions focused on achieving greater visibility for the work carried out.

Finally, all indicators defined in the CETIM Circular Excellence Operating Plan are monitored annually and periodically in order to achieve the expected results of this initiative (ERDF indicators, technological impact indicators, economic impact indicators and social impact indicators).

Results for the 2025 annuity:

During the 2025 annuity, the Centre has continued to carry out tasks related to the acquisition and commissioning of research infrastructure, its operation, monitoring and development of new lines of research supported by this new infrastructure, communication and dissemination, and monitoring of its impact.

With the aim of increasing research excellence in six of its R&D&I lines of specialisation in the areas of the circular economy – research into water, green hydrogen, sustainable polymers, sustainable construction materials, sustainable industry 5.0 and batteries – the Centre has acquired the equipment, trained its staff and started up the centre, with daily operations scheduled to begin in 2025 in each of its six strategic lines of research.

In order to obtain maximum performance from the equipment acquired, the most relevant research and technological services activities for the different pieces of equipment are being monitored and defined, and the operation of each piece of equipment and its suitability for the development of these new lines of research and technological services is being studied. Similarly, new lines of research that can be reinforced with the equipment acquired within the framework of the six strategic lines of research proposed are being monitored and developed. The Centre has also begun to develop a Communication and Dissemination Plan, implementing actions focused on this.

Finally, all the indicators defined in the CETIM Circular Excellence Exploitation Plan are being monitored annually and periodically in order to achieve the expected results of this initiative (ERDF indicators, technological impact indicators, economic impact indicators and social impact indicators).

Results for the 2026 annuity:

During 2026, the closing year of CETIM’s Circular Excellence project, the Centre completed the implementation of the new scientific infrastructure and focused its activities on consolidating its operation, validating its applications and facilitating its future use. This final phase included commissioning the remaining equipment, optimising working conditions, drawing up protocols for use and maintenance, and training research staff.

The project has completed the strengthening of the six strategic R&D&I lines in the Circular Economy: batteries, water, green hydrogen, sustainable polymers, construction materials and sustainable industry 5.0. In particular, the water infrastructure has been expanded with a photometer and a gas chromatograph; the sustainable polymers infrastructure with a pellet 3D printer; the sustainable industry 5.0 infrastructure with a filament 3D printer and a computer vision camera; and the batteries infrastructure with potentiostat-type equipment and swelling measurement equipment. All the strategic lines have been reinforced with a floor-level fume extraction system connected to the fume cupboard, which allows larger pilot systems to be operated under suitable safety conditions, directly benefiting three of the project’s main lines of research: Green Hydrogen, Water and Sustainable Polymers.

In parallel, the performance of the equipment and its suitability for different samples, processes and operating conditions have been evaluated. The technology watch carried out has made it possible to identify new applications, lines of research, technology services and opportunities for collaboration with companies, especially SMEs, assessing their technical, economic and environmental feasibility and how well they complement CETIM’s existing capabilities.

During the last annual period, a significant effort has also been made to raise awareness of the existence, objectives, capabilities and advantages of the infrastructure, through a large number of the actions planned in the Communication and Dissemination Plan, including posts on the website and social media, the use of promotional materials, an application to include the infrastructure in Innovarede, and demonstration and training activities aimed at companies, research staff, STEM students and the general public.

Finally, it is worth noting that, during this annual period, CETIM has quantified the degree to which the technological, economic and social impact indicators defined in the Exploitation Plan have been met. As a result, CIRCULAR EXCELLENCE is now a fully operational infrastructure with a strengthened scientific and technical base from which to drive new research, services and collaborations in the Circular Economy. To this end, as set out in its Exploitation Plan, CETIM will continue with dissemination and communication tasks and with evaluating the use of the infrastructure.

The “CIRCULAR EXCELLENCE CETIM” project is funded by the Axencia Galega de Innovación and co-funded by the European Union through the Feder Galicia 2021-2027 programme, falling under Political Objective OP1, Priority 1. A, Specific Objective RSO 1.1 and Line of Action L.A 1.1.01.